by Debby Mayne
Bethany had a feeling her aunt was skirting an issue, so she decided to come right out and ask, “Why are you stating the obvious?”
Aunt Mary smiled. “I still think it’s rather weird that sometimes you call her by her first name.”
“I’ve done it since I was in elementary school,” Bethany reminded her.
“I remember, but I still don’t know why. When I asked her, she said she didn’t know either, but she thought it was cute . . . at least when you were a child.”
Bethany did remember. “If you ask me really nicely, I’ll tell you why.”
“Okay, so tell me.”
“That’s not asking me nicely.”
“Do I have to tell you it’s okay to look at Hummels to get this out of you?”
“No, of course not,” Bethany said. “Just say please.”
“I can do even better than that.” Aunt Mary stood straight, folded her hands in front of her, and tilted her head slightly. “Pretty please with whipped cream and chocolate sauce?”
“Add some almonds and a cherry, and I’ll tell you.”
“Consider it done.”
Bethany gave her a clipped nod. “Remember how she used to want all the kids to call her Miss Naomi instead of Mrs. McCord?”
“Yes.”
“That’s when it started. All my friends called her Miss Naomi, so I started doing it. And because she was my mother, I left off the Miss. When I saw how much she enjoyed it, I kept calling her Naomi.” She lifted her hands palms up. “I would have done anything to make my mother laugh.”
“That’s it?” Aunt Mary looked disappointed.
“Afraid so.”
“And I thought I was going to get some deep, dark confession from you.”
Bethany laughed. “There is one thing I can confess. When I think about her, I alternate between calling her Mom and Naomi.”
Aunt Mary rolled her eyes. “Now that’s a confession for the records.”
“I know, I know, but it’s the best I can do. I’m so boring.”
“Bethany, honey, you are not boring. Just a little vanilla, that’s all.” She gave Bethany a squeeze. “And vanilla just happens to be one of my favorite flavors.”
Sherry appeared from around the corner, her cart now empty. “You ladies finding everything you need?”
“Yes,” Bethany replied. “So how is everything with you and Brad?”
Sherry inspected the diamond ring on her finger and sighed before looking back up at Bethany. “He’s amazing.”
Aunt Mary laughed. “Something about love makes people amazing, doesn’t it?” Before Sherry had a chance to reply, Mary continued. “I bet he feels the same way about you. When’s the wedding?”
“I was thinking next summer, but he wants to get married sooner.”
Bethany nodded. “I understand. It’s not as though you two just met.”
“That’s what he says. He thinks waiting might prolong the stress.”
“Yes,” Aunt Mary agreed. “Planning a wedding can be mighty stressful, as I remember with Naomi’s. Might as well just do it and get it over with . . . sort of like ripping off a Band-Aid.”
Both Bethany and Sherry laughed before Sherry spoke up. “There are so many arrangements; I don’t know how we’ll get it all done.”
Aunt Mary shrugged. “Like what? All you need to do is get your marriage license, pick a day the church isn’t booked, and have the ceremony.”
“But what about—?”
“The rest of it will get done,” Aunt Mary assured her. “Trust me.”
“I’ll think about it. In the meantime, we’ve got this festival coming up. Pamela wants me to run the parade committee.” She contorted her mouth and rolled her eyes. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m always on the committees, but I’ve never led one this public.”
“Oh, I’m sure Bethany wouldn’t mind helping you.” Aunt Mary grinned at Bethany. “Would you, dear?”
Bethany did mind, but now that she was put on the spot, she couldn’t very well argue. “Sure, if you need help, give me a call.”
“I just might take you up on that.” Sherry glanced up at the clock. “I need to put this cart in the back. My part-timer is coming in a few minutes, so Brad and I can look at new trucks.”
“We need to run anyway.” Aunt Mary waved as she ushered Bethany out of the door. “Talk to you later.”
On the sidewalk outside, Aunt Mary turned to her and said, “See what you’re missing out on by not getting romantically involved again?”
“What? Looking at trucks?”
“No, silly. You know what I mean.”
Bethany did know what she meant, but she wasn’t falling for it. She’d been married once, and it was wonderful, but that didn’t mean she needed to jump right back into another romantic relationship—even if Pete did give her the tingles. Besides, he’d already declared himself a confirmed bachelor, adding that a lifetime commitment scared him silly. If he’d only said that back in high school, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but when she and Charlie saw him during their Bloomfield visits, he’d commented that he wasn’t the marrying kind.
“Right?” A half smile formed on Aunt Mary’s lips.
“Yes, I know what you mean.” Bethany sighed. “And I appreciate your concern about me, but I’m doing just fine on my own.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why would you think otherwise?”
“For starters, you don’t get out much. And the only thing that keeps you company is your houseful of stuff you don’t need . . . and that you’re getting rid of.” She lifted an eyebrow. “You are getting rid of it, right?”
There it was again, the clutter issue. “Of course. I think we’ve already established that.”
Aunt Mary placed a hand on Bethany’s shoulder. “Okay, sweetie. I didn’t mean to upset you again. But you know how much I care about you, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Would you like to see if Elsie has something new at the bookstore? I know how much you enjoy reading.”
Bethany paused and then nodded. “Sure, let’s do that.”
She would much rather have gone home, closed the door behind her, and wandered around in her house, looking at all the mementos she had left that brought back happier times. She wasn’t terribly unhappy now, but times like this made her reflect on the immense joy of having her husband and daughter at home, laughing and teasing each other about everything under the sun.
As they approached the one-story brick building that housed Bloomfield Books, Aunt Mary slowed down. “Let me know if you see something you want. I’d love to treat you to a new book.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I never have to do anything I don’t want, but I want to get you a book.” Aunt Mary smiled.
“Okay, if that makes you happy.”
As they opened the front door, high ceilings and a blend of the smell of old and new books greeted them. Elsie stood in front of her massive counter with the antique cash register Bethany remembered from her childhood.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” Elsie walked around one of the cats that had taken up residence in the bookstore. “What can I help you with today?”
“Got anything new?” Aunt Mary asked.
Elsie pointed to a wall of books. “The best sellers are on the shelf in front, and I just stocked some new fiction in the inspirational section.”
“Let’s look there.” Aunt Mary took Bethany by the arm and led her to the aisle of Christian fiction. “Whoa, you have quite a selection here.”
“I like to stock what my customers want.” Elsie pointed to a new release by a Christian mystery author. “This book has been quite popular, and I’ve had to reorder it several times. We just got it back in today.”
Aunt Mary shot Bethany a questioning look. “Do you have this one yet?”
“She’s my favorite author, but no, I haven’t bought that book yet.”
“We’ll take two.” Aunt Mary pulled the books off the shelf, handed one to Bethany and tucked the other close to her side.
Bethany chuckled. “I hope you know you’ll be up all night once you start reading. All of her stories are spine-tingling.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. I’m ready for an all-nighter read-a-thon.” She made a face. “At least now it’ll be a book keeping me up late and not weighing the decision I have to make about moving back.”
Bethany wondered if there was more to it than that. Perhaps immersing herself in a good book would help her avoid whatever bothered her about Bloomfield. “If I can help, let me know.” Bethany held her aunt’s gaze. “I would love having you here permanently.”
“Let’s not talk about that now.” Aunt Mary cleared her throat. “Let me pay for these books and we’ll get out of here.”
After Elsie rang up the sale, they left the store. They’d barely stepped outside, when commotion from down the street captured their attention. A couple of elderly men scurried around the building, both of them shouting at each other. “It’s all your fault!” was all Bethany could decipher.
“What in the world is going on at the community center?” Aunt Mary frowned.
“I have no idea,” Bethany said, shaking her head. “That’s the most excitement I’ve seen since I’ve been here. Let’s check it out.”
They quickened their steps and headed toward the uproar. The first person they spotted was Pamela, running around in kitten-heeled mules, her bright purple fingernails flashing through the air as she ordered people around.
“Claude, I want you to cover the side entrance. Howard, come with me.”
“What happened?” Aunt Mary asked.
“Murray’s loose. We think he’s still inside, but we can’t find him, so we’re covering all the exits just in case.” The sharp tone of Pamela’s voice commanded attention.
“How did he—?”
“Never mind how,” Pamela snapped. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and give us a hand?”
Bethany nodded. She understood that Pamela didn’t intend to be rude. She was worried about what Murray might do. “Where do you want me?”
“Inside. Someone needs to guard the prizes. Murray likes bright, shiny things, and I don’t want to take a chance on having him mess up what we’ve been working on.”
Bethany suspected Pamela wasn’t terribly concerned about Andy’s parrot. The Bloomfield rumor mill buzzed about Murray being the only thing that came between Pamela and Andy making their relationship more permanent. The couple was on the verge of breaking up on any given day because of something Murray squawked. If Andy’s sister hadn’t left the bird to him in her will, he would have been gone long ago. But Andy’s sense of responsibility and love for his sister kept him from following his own heart. Bethany knew Andy’s older sister had been a big influence in his life after their parents passed away when he was young, and he didn’t want to let her down—even after her death.
Bethany and Aunt Mary slipped inside and saw a dozen people already looking for Murray. One of the city council members crawled around on his hands and knees, looking beneath tables, while another opened and closed cupboards, calling, “Here birdie, birdie.”
Aunt Mary nudged her. “Why don’t you take that side of the room, and I’ll head over there?” She pointed to the kitchen area. “I have a feeling Murray won’t be found until he’s good and ready.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
As Bethany approached the corner where all her donations sat among hundreds more, she tried to imagine where a parrot would hide. She scanned the tables until a colorful head popped up from behind a collection of Hummels. Her heart thudded.
“Murray, what are you doing?” She slowly approached the bird.
He sidestepped, bobbing his head, not meeting her gaze. She didn’t want to upset him for fear he’d start flapping his wings, sending the fragile porcelain figurine flying to the floor.
“Are you looking for something?” Bethany asked as she took another tentative step closer.
He bobbed his head again but didn’t say a word. Fear of what he’d do if she shouted overrode the temptation to let everyone knew she’d found him. She glanced over her shoulder and saw no one had noticed her discovery.
“Do you want something to eat?” she asked.
“Murray wants candy . . . squawk . . . Murray wants candy!”
In a matter of seconds, everyone in the community center had dropped their own search and scrambled over to the collectibles table. Bethany held up her hands. “Please don’t upset him, or he might break everything around him.”
“We’ve been looking everywhere for that bird,” Mayor Hansen said. “I’m not going to let some birdbrain get the best of me.” He lunged for Murray.
Before anyone had a chance to stop him, Murray expanded his wings and started flapping, sending precious figurines crashing to the floor. A collective gasp filled the room.
“That bird is a public menace.” The mayor stomped around the floor, pointing at Murray, his face red with fury. “Get him out of here.”
Bethany glanced down at the fragments of figurines that had once belonged to Charlie’s mother. Her heart sank. She had to protect the rest of the collectibles. “Please, Mr. Mayor. Let’s give him some space.”
“I don’t—”
Andy came up from behind. “Bethany’s right. Please, everyone, move away and let me deal with this.”
Bethany took a step back as she whispered, “He says he wants candy.”
“Yes, I’m sure he does.” Andy pulled a plastic bag of carrot sticks from his pocket. “And that’s exactly what I brought him.” He lifted one of the carrots and showed it to his bird. “This is Murray-style candy.”
The mayor let out a sound of disgust, but Pamela shook her finger at him. “I’m not trying to be critical, but if you’d start eating Murray-style candy, you might get in shape, Mayor.”
“Are you telling me I’m—?”
She shrugged. “I’m just sayin’ . . .”
He narrowed his eyes and gave her a long look, but he finally glanced away. Even the mayor knew better than to challenge the woman who pretty much got everything she wanted.
“Good boy, Murray,” Andy said as his bird accepted the carrot and allowed his master to pick him up with both hands. “Now let’s get you back in your cage where you belong.”
Bethany let out a sigh of relief. “Glad that’s over.” Then she realized she hadn’t seen Aunt Mary since Andy arrived. “Where’s my aunt?”
Pamela pointed to the door. “She left ten minutes ago.”
Bethany glanced back at Andy to make sure he had a good grip on his bird before bolting toward the door. She ran outside and halted in her tracks when she spotted Aunt Mary standing next to a lamppost, shielding her eyes from the sun. Aunt Mary turned to face her and waved.
As Bethany approached her aunt, she saw the tight lines around her lips and the way her eyebrows drew together. “What’s wrong? Did something happen . . . I mean, besides Murray?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“That’s not true, Aunt Mary.” Bethany tentatively touched her aunt’s back and tried to rub away some of the tension. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“I don’t want to.”
“But why? Don’t you trust me?”
Aunt Mary’s shoulders rose and fell as she inhaled deeply before letting out a deep sigh. “You might not understand.” She sniffled and dabbed at her nose with a tissue. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
Bethany pulled her into a hug. “That is simply not possible. I’ll love you no matter what.”
&n
bsp; Aunt Mary’s tight jaw relaxed as she sighed and nodded. “Then I suppose I might as well tell you, or you’ll never give me any peace.” She pointed in the direction of Bethany’s house. “I’ll take you home and tell you the whole sad story.”
Chapter 9
I’ll fix some tea,” Bethany said once they reached the house. “Why don’t you sit down and relax, and I’ll bring it to you.”
“Relax?” Aunt Mary forced a smile. “I hardly think that’s possible, considering . . .”
“Okay, then sit down and fret. No point in trying to force yourself into relaxing if it’s not possible.” She offered a sympathetic smile as she pointed to the sofa. “At least get comfortable. I won’t be long.”
Bethany left her aunt in the living room, while she strolled to the kitchen. She had a feeling some huge revelation was about to rock her world, and for some reason, even though she was curious, she wasn’t in a hurry to hear about it. One thing she did know was that it would take something really terrible to change her opinion of Aunt Mary.
The woman had always been there for her, even jumping into the ring when she and her mother had skirmishes. When she wanted to wear the clothes her friends were wearing and Naomi said no, Aunt Mary asked, “Why not? You have to buy her new clothes anyway.” And when she wanted to stay out a little later, she even offered to be the one to pick up her and her friends.
Even though Aunt Mary never had children of her own, she seemed to understand them better than her parents did. Or perhaps that was why she understood them. Now that Bethany had raised her own daughter, she realized Aunt Mary never had to deal with the emotional aspect of watching teen angst from a parent’s point of view.
As the water heated, Bethany loaded a tray with cups, saucers, small plates, crackers, cheese, and grapes. Then she filled a teapot with boiling water and placed a couple of tea bags in to steep. After a deep breath, she lifted the tray and carried it to the front of the house, where Aunt Mary sat on the edge of the sofa playing with the fringe on the blanket Charlie’s mother had made for her own fifth wedding anniversary.
“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble, Bethany.”
